Armenians reiterate claims to Obama
Güncelleme Tarihi:
by Ümit Enginsoy
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 20, 2009 00:00
WASHINGTON - Major U.S.-Armenian organizations sent a joint letter to President-elect Barack Obama, who formally takes over presidency today, urging him to keep his promise from last year's election campaign to recognize Armenian claims of "genocide."
The 20 advocacy, civic, religious, charitable and educational groups congratulated Obama for his planned inauguration, but their three-page letter sent over the weekend mostly included Armenian demands for the new administration.
The U.S.-Armenian community of about 1.5 million solidly backed Democrat Obama, who it saw as the candidate sensitive to Armenian matters, against Republican John McCain in last November's presidential election.
"As a community, we have been proud that you have stood with us as we have worked toward congressional commemoration, presidential recognition and Turkish acknowledgement of the Armenian 'genocide,'" the Armenian organizations said. "As you have stated so eloquently and repeatedly, the facts of this crime are undeniable."
Obama pledged at least twice last year that he would recognize the 1915 incident as "genocide", if he became president . "Our government must clearly and unequivocally condemn the 1915 crime of race extermination by Ottoman Turkey that, during the course of eight years, killed one and a half million Armenians," the organizations said. "As you have stated on several occasions, America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides," they said.
Sensitive matter
Turkey says that both Armenians and Muslims died in the unrest during the Ottoman Empire's disintegration and that the events did not constitute genocide.
Ankara has warned that formal U.S. recognition of the deaths as "genocide" would hurt bilateral relations in a major and lasting way.
Outgoing President George W. Bush's administration has declined to utter the word genocide and successfully prevented genocide resolutions from passing through the U.S. congress over the past eight years in an effort not to alienate Turkey, a critical ally in the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Balkans. But with Obama as president and many other similar-minded officials in top positions in the new administration and in congress now, the Armenians hope that this time they will win formal U.S. "genocide" recognition. Analysts also agree that this is highly probable. The Armenians have counted Vice President-elect Joe Biden, future Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and several other Obama cabinet members among the officials seeking "genocide" recognition.
The Armenian organizations also urged Obama to boost economic and other relations with Armenia and effectively back ethnic Armenians in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Previously Turkey’s foreign minister has warned Obama's incoming administration that any U.S. recognition of Armenian claims regarding the 1915 incidents could derail reconciliation efforts between the two neighbors. "It would not be very rational for a third country to take a position on this issue... A wrong step by the United States will harm the process," Ali Babacan said last week.
Babacan said the dispute was among the issues that Ankara and Yereven had been discussing since reconciliation efforts gathered steam in September when Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid a landmark visit to Armenia.
The U.S.-Armenian community of about 1.5 million solidly backed Democrat Obama, who it saw as the candidate sensitive to Armenian matters, against Republican John McCain in last November's presidential election.
"As a community, we have been proud that you have stood with us as we have worked toward congressional commemoration, presidential recognition and Turkish acknowledgement of the Armenian 'genocide,'" the Armenian organizations said. "As you have stated so eloquently and repeatedly, the facts of this crime are undeniable."
Obama pledged at least twice last year that he would recognize the 1915 incident as "genocide", if he became president . "Our government must clearly and unequivocally condemn the 1915 crime of race extermination by Ottoman Turkey that, during the course of eight years, killed one and a half million Armenians," the organizations said. "As you have stated on several occasions, America deserves a leader who speaks truthfully about the Armenian genocide and responds forcefully to all genocides," they said.
Sensitive matter
Turkey says that both Armenians and Muslims died in the unrest during the Ottoman Empire's disintegration and that the events did not constitute genocide.
Ankara has warned that formal U.S. recognition of the deaths as "genocide" would hurt bilateral relations in a major and lasting way.
Outgoing President George W. Bush's administration has declined to utter the word genocide and successfully prevented genocide resolutions from passing through the U.S. congress over the past eight years in an effort not to alienate Turkey, a critical ally in the Middle East, the Caucasus and the Balkans. But with Obama as president and many other similar-minded officials in top positions in the new administration and in congress now, the Armenians hope that this time they will win formal U.S. "genocide" recognition. Analysts also agree that this is highly probable. The Armenians have counted Vice President-elect Joe Biden, future Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and several other Obama cabinet members among the officials seeking "genocide" recognition.
The Armenian organizations also urged Obama to boost economic and other relations with Armenia and effectively back ethnic Armenians in the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.
Previously Turkey’s foreign minister has warned Obama's incoming administration that any U.S. recognition of Armenian claims regarding the 1915 incidents could derail reconciliation efforts between the two neighbors. "It would not be very rational for a third country to take a position on this issue... A wrong step by the United States will harm the process," Ali Babacan said last week.
Babacan said the dispute was among the issues that Ankara and Yereven had been discussing since reconciliation efforts gathered steam in September when Turkish President Abdullah Gul paid a landmark visit to Armenia.